I've been drinking this blend for a while, but the monks at Sevenhill don't tend to market the wine as well as they might. It's a 'Bordeaux Blend', of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Us Aussies regularly blend those, especially in Margaret River, but it's not particularly common to see all four in a wine. I have no idea on percentages, and apart from it being a talking point, who cares really? I think it's typically half Cab Sav, 1/4 Merlot, 1/8th Malbec and Franc.
I had this opened about 4 hours before I started writing, and it certainly did need time to open up properly, and continued to develop in the glass. I'll take that as a sign it will go long the in the cellar, but if drinking soon give it a good decant and if possible a few hours to give up the goods.
The nose is slightly light, but it is very complex, and extremely pretty. Quite full bodied, but more Natasha Romanoff than Nigella. The 15% alc on the label suggests it could be fairly ripe, but the book cover judging technique would be wrong. The tannins are dusty and chocolatey, providing just enough dryness and structure to balance the acid and fruit, and should provide a strong backbone in it's later years. The complexity on the palate even more impressive. Blackberry, schwarzwalder schinken, pipe tobacco, allspice, dried Italian herbs, and a touch of rosemary flowers, all balance and class.
Rated Highly Recommended+++
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
Koltz The Wizard Shiraz 2013
I wrote a review of this wine a few weeks back. Then I read what I wrote and couldn't bring myself to actually publish that waffle about such an interesting wine. So I shall try to keep this attempt a bit more to the point.
Mark and Anna make this wine using the Ripasso method, which involves arcane magiks and some clever Pagan grape necromancy. I would not be surprised to find that 'ripasso' is Italian slang for 'ripper'.
A sure sign that the wine is an aromatic joy is that you take your eye glasses off, just so you can fit more nose into the glass, and get a seriously good whiff. Bit of hardwood in there, more like Jarrah than oak, wonder if that's been tried? Aromas of mulberry jam, pipe baccy, and rich dark brown/black soil.
There's a very unusual tannin structure to this wine, it's both firm and velvety, clearly the ripper method at work. What strikes me most though, is the clever tightrope balance the wine has between rich fruit and savoury. There's just the slight hint of a late picked character, but it's not cloying or palate fatiguing like a true late picked Shiraz often is.
Savoury? Yes. Plush? Yes. Simple? Nope.
This is a special wine because it's really not like anything else I've had. It takes a bottle or two to start to understand what it is you're tasting. At least that's my excuse.
Rated Highly Recommended+++
PS. background information from Koltz /Mark Day:
Mark and Anna make this wine using the Ripasso method, which involves arcane magiks and some clever Pagan grape necromancy. I would not be surprised to find that 'ripasso' is Italian slang for 'ripper'.
A sure sign that the wine is an aromatic joy is that you take your eye glasses off, just so you can fit more nose into the glass, and get a seriously good whiff. Bit of hardwood in there, more like Jarrah than oak, wonder if that's been tried? Aromas of mulberry jam, pipe baccy, and rich dark brown/black soil.
There's a very unusual tannin structure to this wine, it's both firm and velvety, clearly the ripper method at work. What strikes me most though, is the clever tightrope balance the wine has between rich fruit and savoury. There's just the slight hint of a late picked character, but it's not cloying or palate fatiguing like a true late picked Shiraz often is.
Savoury? Yes. Plush? Yes. Simple? Nope.
This is a special wine because it's really not like anything else I've had. It takes a bottle or two to start to understand what it is you're tasting. At least that's my excuse.
Rated Highly Recommended+++
PS. background information from Koltz /Mark Day:
We did the first Wizard in 2006 and have since done a 2009, 2010, 2012 and a 2013. We only do it in certain years as it depends on the skins from Pagan.
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